It was one of those ‘what might have been?’ moments. A moment which, had Lady Luck been shining down on Manchester United that day, could have sent their season moving in a very different direction.
When title-chasing Arsenal arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday, they will take on a Red Devils side lurching from crisis to catastrophe.
A team who have already suffered a record number of Premier League defeats, could finish outside the top-seven for the first-time, and who’s manager – the increasingly embattled Erik ten Hag – appears to have aged decades in a matter of months.
But where would Manchester United be now if they had snatched all three points at the Emirates Stadium back in September, when the 2023/24 season was only four games old? Where would they be had Gabriel Magalhaes not pulled his chest back at the very last second, rendering Alejandro Garnacho‘s would-be winner in the 88th minute slightly offside?
These are the minuscule margins – in this case centimetres – upon which matches are often decided at the very top level.
Arsenal, having survived the most almighty of scares, then went up the other end and scored twice past the 90 minute mark, a victory which arguably laid the foundations for their latest and most compelling Premier League title charge yet under Mikel Arteta.
Arteta admits Arsenal got lucky vs Manchester United
“It was a game with a lot of alternative (endings),” Arteta begins, as recorded by Beanyman Sports. “Difficult one. There were small margins because they had a huge moment when the goal was disallowed.
“It was 1-2 (when Garnacho scored). Then, we turned the game around and scored two very good goals.
“So that tells you the difficulty, the quality of them (United), and what we will need to do to beat them.”
Had Garnacho begun his run a split-second later – racing onto a clever pass and finishing coolly – Man United would have drawn level with Arsenal on eight points. Instead, those stoppage-time clinchers from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus extended the gap between the two sides to four points.
Seven months later, that gap is now a chasm, 29 points (nearly ten wins) separating the two old rivals.
“At this level, that’s the reality,” Arteta adds. “The margins are so small and momentum shifts in relation to an action.
“Sometimes in a game, sometimes in a season, you need that momentum for something to click.”
It certainly did for Arsenal that day, benefitting not only from VAR’s intervention but also escaping what looked like a nailed-on penalty after Gabriel hauled Rasmus Hojlund to the ground in a move more suited to a WWE ring than a football pitch. Rice’s 96th minute decider also got a deflection on it’s way in, with Jonny Evans arguably fouled in the build-up.
Bruno and Rashford may be back but Saka doubtful
Lisandro Martinez picked up the first of a series of injuries in that trip to the Emirates too. He, at least, is back in training now but Sunday’s clash will come too soon. United are also without Mason Mount (again) but could welcome back Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and the talismanic Bruno Fernandes after the captain was missing for the first time in his Man United career against Crytsal Palace on Monday.
“Rashy, he trained this morning,” Ten Hag says. “And we have to see how he recovered from this. But I think it looks quite good and I hope he can tomorrow make the next training and then see if he is available for Sunday.
“Bruno was on the pitch and Scott McTominay was on the pitch, so there are some players returning.”
Arsenal, meanwhile, may be without star man and top scorer Bukayo Saka.